My first taste of sakura season from 7-11

You can always rely on Japan's convenience stores to bring some great sakura-flavored products to their shelves around this time of year, and I was excited to see this sakura donut at my local 7-11 this morning. When I got my Starbucks sakura latte recently they were selling sakura donuts on their seasonal menu, but I resisted – and I kicked myself for that a little bit! I was glad to see this donut option a little closer to home to enjoy.

If you're after a sakura-flavored donut but don't live near a Starbucks, check your local 7-11 for this seasonal offering!

The 7-11 sakura donuts are priced at ¥ 140 a piece, almost half the price of the Starbucks version which will set you back ¥ 275. I don't know how it stacks up taste-wise to the Starbucks version, but I was much happier with this price point!

The donut itself is topped with a sakura flavored chocolate, and then dusted with white cookie crumbs. I really liked the addition of the cookie crumbs as they added a nice texture, and the chocolate topping had a pleasant, light sakura flavor. I personally could have done with the sakura flavor being a little stronger, but that's a minor complaint!

The donut is covered in a sakura chocolate topping, and then dusted with white cookie crumbs. 

As for the texture of the actual donut, it was interesting. I think it was closer to bread than it was to what you'd traditionally call a donut, but in saying that I didn't think it was bad. It was light and fluffy, and had a nice chewy bite to it. It also didn't feel as unhealthy as some donuts do, despite the chocolate topping.

The ever-important cross section photo! This donut was wonderfully light and fluffy, and felt a little closer to bread dough that your typical donut dough.

Overall, I enjoyed this donut and thought it was very reasonably priced, especially when I compare it to what Starbucks is selling their version for. If you're after a tasty way to welcome in the spring season, I recommend giving this a try – I believe that it is available nationwide, so keep your eyes peeled for it!

Have you seen any other sakura donut options out there aside from Starbucks and 7-11 this season, and if so, how did you like them? Let me know in the comments!